Writer: Danny Robins
Director: Matthew Dunster
Jenny believes her new house is haunted, but her fiercely rational husband, Sam, insists there is a scientific explanation for everything. Over a tense dinner party with old friend Lauren and her new partner, Ben, the four decide to stay awake until 2:22am to discover the truth. The true standout element of 2:22 A Ghost Story is the fantastic, clever writing of Danny Robins. The brilliance of the script lies in its structure: throughout the entire evening, the friends clash over their beliefs, scepticism, and superstitions, all while a live ghost story seamlessly unfolds right in front of the audience. There is a delicious, gripping irony in Sam’s aggressive insistence that the paranormal does not exist, creating a friction that keeps the auditorium utterly hooked.
The production thrives on the depth of its core relationships, brought to life by a stellar cast. Shvorne Marks anchors the emotional weight of the piece as a frayed, desperate Jenny, matched by James Bye’s frustratingly smug Sam. Natalie Casey provides a brilliant layer of complex tension as Lauren, while Grant Kilburn delivers a grounded, compelling turn as Ben. The shifting dynamics between these four characters feel entirely authentic, ensuring the stakes feel deeply personal rather than just supernatural.
Matthew Dunster’s direction is stellar, masterfully keeping the tension high and locking the audience on the edge of their seats. He is expertly assisted by Lucy Carter’s sharp, jarring lighting design and Ian Dickinson’s spine-chilling sound design, both of which weaponise silence and sudden, aggressive shocks to perfection. Together, they create an atmosphere that regularly leaves the hairs standing up on the back of your neck.
Visually, Anna Fleischle’s set design is a triumph of modern dread. She creates a large house caught mid-transformation, a gentrified home transitioning from an old building into a slick development. The set itself becomes an active character; the ominous threat of the upstairs rooms lingers heavily over the stage throughout the night, while the darkness beyond the French doors serves as a constant, eerie reminder of the unknown. As the clock ticks closer to the deadline, the slow-burning dread builds to a shattering conclusion. It is a slick, scary, and thoroughly entertaining night of theatre that genuinely redefines the modern ghost story.
Runs until 30 May 2026 | Image: Helen Murray
